Spain’s State Agency for Aerial Security, the AESA, which is part of the Ministry of Industry, has issued a blanket ban on commercial UAS use everywhere in the country. Continue reading
Category Archives: Non-Military & Commercial UAS
UAS Thermal Images Reveal Buried Ancient Village in New Mexico
Thermal images captured by a small UAS allowed archaeologists to peer under the surface of the New Mexican desert floor, revealing never-before-seen structures in an ancient Native American settlement. Called Blue J, this 1,000-year-old village was first identified by archaeologists in the 1970s. Continue reading
DJI Introduces Phantom 2 Vision+
DJI has announced the release of the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+, the world’s first flying camera that captures stabilized HD video out of the box. The DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ features a built-in camera that shoots 1080p video at 30 frame-per-second (fps) and takes 14-megapixel pictures. The camera is mounted to a gimbal, an electronic stabilizer, ensuring the steadiness of the camera on 3 axes – pitch, roll and yaw – regardless of wind conditions or flight speed. Continue reading
Researchers use UAS for Fish Population Surveys
Off the coast of Georgia, researchers and pilots from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently tested the ability of a small unmanned aircraft to conduct fish population surveys. Continue reading
New Law Allows UAS Surveillance in Netherlands
The Dutch parliament has approved legislation that will allow UAS to be used for video surveillance of the country’s citizens. Almost all political parties voted in favour of an amendment to the snappily named municipal act relating to the extension of the authority of the mayor to deploy camera surveillance, which had been proposed by two MPs, Ivo Opstelten and Ronald Plasterk. Continue reading
CAA Gets First UK Conviction for Dangerous UAS Flying
A TV-repair shop owner who has become the first person convicted in the UK for “dangerously” flying a UAS says the fine and legal costs will bankrupt him. Robert Knowles, 46, of Barrow-in-Furness, was fined £800 and ordered to pay costs of £3,500 at the Furness and District Magistrate court on Tuesday after being prosecuted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Continue reading
South African Civil Aviation Authority to Crackdown on Illegal UAS Flying
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) is set to clampdown on the illegal flying, in civil airspace of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAV), as normally referred to. The move was prompted by recent reports that purported that there are individuals and/or organisations that are already operating or intending to operate UAS in the South African civil aviation airspace. Continue reading
Northrop Grumman Sponsors 2014 Outback Challenge UAV Competition in Australia
As part of Northrop Grumman Corporation’s effort to increase innovative thinking in engineering and technology among today’s youth, the company is sponsoring the 2014 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Outback Challenge competition in Australia. Continue reading